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(NoModeL) J. J. BALDWIN.

STEP LADDER. I j No. 283,555. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

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JOSEPH J. BALDWIN, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming. part of Lettersr'a't'ent no. 283,555, datedAugust 21, 3.883.

' Application mean rnisises. (Nomodeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn J. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United-States,residing at Balti more and. Stateof Maryland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Step- Ladders, of which the following is aspecifica= tion, reference being had therein to the accent panyingdrawings.

My invention relates to imp rovements in step-ladders, and has for itsobject to provide an improved means for connecting the supportinglegs tothe ladder, whereby, when the ladder is set up and the legsopened tosupport it, the

two legs may be spread apart laterally to give 2 more stable support,especially for high laders.

The construction and operation of my improvement will first be describedand the invention will then be claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a rear view of thestep-ladder. Fig. 2 is a like view of the top part, showing a modifica-The letter A designates the side bars, and 13' the steps or ladder, ofusual construction. The legs C have two branches, de, at their upperends. An iron, (1, having two edges, which form, substantially, arightangle, is attached by one part of the angle to the branch (I of the leg,and the other part of the angle has an upward curve, f, provided at itsextremity with a pivot-hole, j. Another iron, 6, is straight, and isattached to the branch. 6 of the leg. The extremity of this iron has apivothole, Both legs 0 have their-branches provided. alike with theseirons.

The upward-curved part f of the two rightangled irons d may be pivotedon one bolt, f, as seen in Fig. l, and thereby have a common pii'oting-p oint, whereby the legs may be spread apart; or each of theseirons may be separately pivoted on different bolts, f as seen in Fig. 2,and thereby have independent pivotingpoints, either constructionaifording in the main the same result. The bolt to which theupward-curved irons f are pivoted has a joint, 1, (see Fig. 5,) and aplate, 2, by which it is attached to the cross-bar 3. This joint servesas a hinge to allow the legs to be opened away from the ladder. I donot, however, limit myself to this construction, as a hinge maybeotherwise arranged.

I The irons (1 being pivoted at the upper or top end of the ladder, thebranch (1 of each leg may, when the legs are closed against the lad der,extend straight along and on the inner side of the side bars, A, asshown; or said branches may lie fiat against the rear edge of the sidebars.

The diagonallyextended branches 6 of the two legs cross each other, andthe iron 0 of each branch 0 approaches the right angled iron (1 of thebranch (Z of the other leg. A top curved plate, I, has one corner,pivoted to the extremity of the straight iron 0', and the other corner,h, pivoted near the angle of the iron d,"and thus this plate connectsthe branch 6 of one leg with the branch d of the other. The curved edgeof this plate is uppermost.

two legs either of the legs may be moved laterally independent of theother, or both may be moved.

The top platform, L, of the ladder projects, as usual, to the rear, andwhen the legs are opened (that is, away from the ladder) the top curvededge of the connecting plate l comes in contact with the under side ofthe top platform, and serves as a bearing for the upper ends of thelegs. This top curved connectingplate is an important feature,therefore, as by it the pivoted upper ends of the legs may always have abearing against the top platform, no matter whether the two legs bespread apart much or little.

I deem the formation of each log into two branches as the mostdesirable; but instead of each leg having two long branches,'tl'1ediagonal branch 6 may be dispensed with, and two straight legs (like(1-) may each havejat its up per end a metal bar or arm to extendhorizontally across, and the extremity of the arm of one leg pivoted tothe corner g of the top curved plate of the other leg. By this I meanused on legs whose upper ends are'pivoted, whether each of the legs havetwo long branches or not.

that the top curved connecting-plate may be By this arrangement andcombination of the shown in Fig. 1, to hold the legs to the ladder.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States.

1. A step-ladder having two legs, each provided with two branches, (1 6,one extending straight and the other diagonally, the straight branch ofeach leg having its end pivoted and the diagonally extended branches,crossing each other, and theupper end of one connected to the upper endof the straight branch of the other by a pivoted connecting-plate, andmeans to restrict the spread of the legs, as set forth.

2. In a step-ladder, the combination, with a top platform, L, and twolegs pivoted to the ladder, of top curved plates, I, to connect the twolegs, and adapted to bear against the un-' der side of the top platform,and means to restrict the spread of the legs, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. BALDWIN.

I'Vitnesses:

J NO. T. MADDOX, JOHN E. MORRIS.

